The Lost Prince
by DeterminedCunning
Summary: Iroh, a young teen, is trying to find the meaning of destiny. The Lost Prince follows our favorite Uncle Iroh, before he was an Uncle. Prince Iroh travels across the world trying to find himself and where his destiny will take him. Along his journey he will meet some familiar faces while meeting new characters. This story follows how Iroh becomes the character we all know & love.
1. Rejection

**REJECTION**

Sounds of flame bursts, panting, and quick feet come from the background. Two young men, one shorter and bulky in stature with dark brown hair, the other tall and lanky with black hair are fighting. Fire coming from every which direction, the two quickly maneuver around each other and their obstacles. The palace courtyard was a perfect place to practice their firebending. There was enough space to move around, with trees and the pond, to provide possible cornering opportunities.

"You won't get me this time Iroh" said the tall, lanky Ozai as he launched a flurry of fire balls towards the other brother.

Just as Ozai said this, Iroh landed a kick which knocked Ozai onto the ground. "Better luck next time little bro," Iroh stated between his chuckles.

Ozai got up and wiped the dirt off his clothes and he stormed back to the palace.

"What's wrong little brother? Did it hurt on your way down?!" No longer getting amusement out of harassing his younger brother, Iroh turns to the nearest servant and barks orders for fireflakes. When the servant arrives with the fireflakes Iroh responds with "what took you so long, it is not like it is difficult to get me a plate of fireflakes!" Quickly grabbing the plate out of the servants without looking back, Iroh heads into the palace.

As soon as Iroh steps into the palace, another servant bows in front of him and informs Iroh that "Firelord Azulon wants to speak to you, sir."

"Please tell the FAATTHHERlord, that I am not interested in speaking to him: I have plans," laced with sarcasm, Iroh heads to the main doors to leave the guarded palace, fireflakes in hand.

Outside of the palace is the polar opposite of where Iroh just came from. Rather than lush green gardens, everything being spotless and in order, there was no green, filth, and chaos. Iroh met up with some of his friends, while neither intelligent, they provided Iroh with backup during a good fight.

"Hello Prince Iroh, nice to see you want to hang out with us lowlife today" said Hayato, a small and scrawny young man, slightly older than Iroh. One could not tell by looking at him with his hair disheveled and scars covering his body, but he had some of the quickest hands in the fire nation. Iroh barely won a fight against Hayato a few years back, and the two became allies.

Iroh punches Hayato on the arm, "I denied an audience with my father to see you guys today, let's make the most of it. What do we want to do today?"

Daisuke, the last person who makes up the terrific trio, was the largest out of the group. He had flame red hair and bright yet piercing blue eyes: he was a sight. Iroh and Daisuke joined forces shortly after Iroh befriended Hayato. "Being a prince must be sooo difficult," Daisuke added.

Just then a young lady walked by. The two friends tried to make plans for the afternoon with Iroh, but he was not focused on them, but rather on her. This lady walked with a purpose, and looked like she did not want to be bothered. She had smooth auburn hair which covered her back, gray eyes, and a fierce visage. Her tall and slender physique was the opposite of Iroh's, and he was instantly drawn to her. Without hesitating, he nudged to his friends that he was going to try to flirt with the young lady. Just as he approached her, before he could attempt to say anything, he was abruptly stopped.

"Do not even try. I am not interested," she said with a bite.

"Do you know who I am?!" Iroh asked, shocked that anyone would turn him down!

"Oh I know who you are, you are a bully!" The young lady did not break stride, she kept her eyes focused straight ahead. "I see you attack the towns people with your gang of hooligans. I have no interest in a so called 'man' who has no maturity, let alone, and self-respect." The young lady stormed off, leaving Iroh in awe over the fact that he was left, rejected, in front of his friends, and every other lay person in the general vicinity.

Trying not to laugh, Daisuke offers Iroh the humbling notion of "now you know what it is like to be one of us! We have no royalty card to play here!"

Humiliated, Iroh walks back towards the palace, unsure of whom the young lady was, let alone what to do with himself, now that his friends say this. He went straight to his corridors, and did not leave the entire evening. Regardless of his rejection, when Iroh slept that night, he dreamt of her.

Before dawn, Iroh has decided he needed to leave the Fire Nation; he packed his belonging and left the palace before anyone would be able to stop him. Iroh left a note which stated:

_I need to find my honor, I am going dragon hunting. Not sure when I will be back. _

_-Iroh_


	2. Lu Ten

**CHAPTER 2-LU TEN**

Iroh pulled the dark cloak over his body and removed his crown, as he snuck out of the palace. Just as dawn was breaking, he started walking to the wharf to find a way away out of the Fire Nation. Once there, Iroh hid behind crates and barrels until he overheard a captain saying that he was leaving Fire Nation waters. Without thinking about it for a moment, Iroh moved towards the ship.

"Hey! What are you trying to do!?" yelled one of the deckhands as he saw Iroh trying to sneak onto the ship. "We don't allow stowaways!"

Not knowing whether or not he should reveal himself, Iroh turned to the man, "I will be willingly to do work if I have to. I have never been on a boat before, but I am a quick learner."

The man hesitated for a moment, and nodded his head in agreement and let Iroh on the ship. He went straight to the bottom decks to find an empty bunk to call his own for his journey. Shortly after getting comfortable, young Iroh went up to the top deck and began to help out the crew get ready to set sail. Once out of the harbor, the other man, average in both looks and build, came up to Iroh and introduced himself "my name is Lu Ten, and yours?"

"My name…umm…my name is Iroh."

Lu Ten raised an eyebrow at his response, but did not ask any questions.

"So what is the purpose of you trying to sneak on the ship young Iroh?"

Iroh, confronted with his decision, was at a loss. He was not exactly sure what drove him to make this decision. The humiliation of being rejected sure, but more so the fact she saw him as a bully. There must be something more to me than just being a bully of a prince he thought to himself. His response came out as a simple statement: "I am here, to find my honor."

"Well that is a broad purpose." Lu Ten thinks to himself for a moment, "Stick close to me, and there won't be any problems. I really do hope you learn quickly, one mistake, and it's the end of the line for either you or someone else on this ship."

Quick learner did not accurately describe Iroh, rather it was the opposite. Iroh struggled with his daily chores. Lu Ten, however, got a good laugh out of watching Iroh struggle. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and by this point Lu Ten & Iroh had become close friends, and Iroh finally got his sea legs. One late night as the two sat on the deck looking out at the sea, Iroh finally told Lu Ten the truth.

"I came on this ship, to hunt a dragon. It has been said that by killing a dragon, you will become a master firebender and find honor. I am here to embrace my destiny, as future Firelord."

Without skipping a beat, Lu Ten continued, "you know, Prince Iroh, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday."

Iroh was shocked by the fact that Lu Ten knew he was the crowned prince! "But…how…how did you know?!"

"Iroh is not that common of a name young man," Lu Ten laughs. "As for your future as Firelord, I cannot tell you where destiny will take you, but I can tell you where the rumors say the dragons are hiding."

Iroh's back straightened up, and his face lit up with excitement at Lu Ten, "you know where to find a dragon?!"

Lu Ten nodded his head, "but before I do, Iroh, my friend, is killing a dragon really going to solve your problems? Is not being a master firebender really at the source of all of your problems?" Lu Ten paused for a moment, waited for Iroh's response, which never came. "Before I divulge that information to you, I would really like to challenge you to a game of Pai Sho, once you win, I will tell you where to find a dragon."

"Pai Sho?! That is a game old men play! I don't see any other option, so I accept your challenge."

Pai Sho is a game which required a great deal of focus and planning. In order to win, you needed to not only think multiple moves away, but one has to be patient. This game allows for a great source of meditation. To both Lu Ten's and Iroh's surprise, Pai Sho came to Iroh a lot quicker than working on a ship. He managed to win only after playing a few times.

After admitting his defeat, Lu Ten offered Iroh some advice, "Iroh, please don't under estimate the role of the white lotus. It has the tendency to help you when you least expect it."

Slightly confused at this comment, Iroh took it to heart, yet was eager to hear where the dragons were located.

"I will talk to the captain, and ask that we make a pit stop at the ancient civilization of the Sun Warriors," said Lu Ten.

"Sun Warriors?! You have to be kidding; they have been extinct for a long time now!" Iroh exclaimed.

"This is true, I told you, and they were just rumors. Do you want to stop, or not?"

Iroh thought for a moment, and agreed to Lu Ten's offer.

A few days past and they were on the shore of the Sun Warrior's civilization. "Goodbye Prince Iroh, while you are lost now, I hope that you find whatever you are looking for."

Iroh embraced his new friend, "I hope our paths cross again my dear friend. Thank you so much for everything."

Without saying a word, Lu Ten sent Iroh on his way, it wasn't until the ship had begun to leave did Lu Ten's eyes begin to water.


	3. Sun Warriors

**CHAPTER 3-SUN WARRIORS**

The view was overwhelming. He has never seen anything like it. Iroh growing up inside the Fire Nation Palace, with industrial capital of the world, seeing something so ancient had a sense of beauty to him. From the look of the place, it looked like no one had lived there in at least a century! The buildings were starting to crumble, and the vegetation had begun to take over majority of the surfaces. There was something eerie about this place; Iroh couldn't quiet put his finger on it, but there was something odd.

Iroh began to walk towards the temple in the middle of the ruins, and with every few steps, he would turn around as if he was being followed. There were times he was pretty sure he saw someone following him. While admiring the stone detail and craftsmanship, Iroh was not paying attention, and set off a trap. This trap caused the floor on which Iroh was standing on, to drop from beneath him. Iroh used his firebending as jets to jump over to the other side of the path. He barely made it. He swung himself over onto the road again with his heart pounding.

The young prince continued to walk towards the large temple, but this civilization was like a maze. Iroh found himself walking back the way he came more often than not. It was becoming darker and darker, and he was determined not to give up just yet. Next thing Iroh felt was a slight pinch on the back of his neck, then he felt sleepy and collapsed on the ground.

Slowly Iroh opened his eyes. It was difficult to see anything, his eyelids were heavy and his eyesight was foggy. However, once he was able to make out what he was seeing, all he could see was a dark sky filled with stars.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" said a deep voice coming from somewhere around Iroh.

Trying to lift himself up, but unable to do so, Iroh was left to respond lying on the ground, "my name is Iroh, I am the crowned prince of the Fire Nation, and I am here to kill a dragon."

Murmurs spread around Iroh, although he was unable to make out any of what was being said. "What did you say?" the stern voiced replied.

"I am here to become a master firebender, find my honor, and embrace my future as Firelord."

A squeaky voice from the other direction added, "well how does killing a dragon solve any of those problems?!"

"I am not really sure." Iroh paused for a moment and thought, "it made sense at the time. To become a master firebender, it has been said you have to kill a dragon, and becoming a master firebender will solve all my problems."

"So you want to become a master firebender" continued the stern voice. "Get up! If you want to be a master firebender, GET UP!"

This time Iroh was able to successfully stand, and when he looked around, he was amazed. He was surrounded by a civilization of people: a civilization of firebenders. Their hair was in a similar fashion to that of the Fire Nation-in ponytails, and they were dressed in red and gold clothing. All of Sun Warriors, were watching Iroh's every move.

"I thought…I thought the Sun Warriors died out long ago" Iroh said.

"We wanted the world to think that, so we could be left alone" the stern voice added. This voice belonged to a man who was wearing a large headdress, the chief of the Sun Warriors. The chief pointed to a flame which was housed in a hole in the wall. "This is the Eternal Flame; this is the very first flame. It was given to man by the dragons. We have kept it going for thousands of years. You must take some of the Eternal Flame to the masters. They will judge you, your heart, and your ancestors."

Iroh reluctantly walked up to the Flame, and held some in his hands. He turned around and saw a huge mountain which he struggled to climb with this flame in his hand. He walked what seemed like for forever, and during the time which he thought about what the chief said. How will the masters judge me? I am not the best person, but I am worthy to learn. I know I am worthy to become a master firebender. I will become a master firebender; I will kill a dragon.

He made it to the top of the mountain, to find a large staircase leading to a platform waiting for him. Iroh walked up those stairs, and with each step becoming more and more nervous of being judged. When he made it to the top, music and chanting below him had begun. The Sun Warriors were calling out to the masters. With the flame in hand, Iroh bowed and waited. "I am ready to be judged," he said shakily.

Before Iroh knew it, there were strong gusts of wind. He looked up to see two dragons, one red, and one blue flying around him. "Wow," was all Iroh could say. The dragons stopped right in front of Iroh and judged him. Iroh could feel their eyes piercing through his soul. Just as the dragons had opened their mouths, a weird sensation overcame Iroh. The air got cold and foggy. He thought for a moment that a tall skinny man, who looked oddly familiar, appeared in the fog, and that man was talking to the dragons. Just as quickly as the fog arrived, it left, leaving the dragons alone with Iroh. The dragons, turned their faces upwards and let out a breath of fire. The fire surrounded Iroh in a whirlwind fashion, and it was unlike any fire he had seen before.

"There are so many colors. Such warmth and energy. This is firebending," Iroh said in amazement. The dragons retreated back to the way they came, and Iroh descended down the stairs, to the Sun Warriors.

"Those were Ran & Shaw, the last two dragons in existence," the chief said. "They judged you, and determined you were worthy of visions of the meaning of firebending. Firebending is life."

Iroh, with this newly found understanding, practiced a firebending set with newly found power and strength behind his bending. He was amazed at what difference truly understanding firebending made in his bending. However, as Iroh practiced his firebending, something at his core changed. He was no longer sure of who he was, or what his destiny had in store for him. Iroh did know something: he was not ready to head back to the Fire Nation.

He said goodbye to the Sun Warriors, and promised to keep his secret, stranded on the beach of the Sun Warrior Civilization, Iroh had no idea of how to get anywhere.


	4. The Lost Prince

**CHAPTER 4-THE LOST PRINCE**

Clearly I did not think this through, Iroh thought to himself. He was stuck on a beach with no way of getting off the island. For a while he debated on trying to make a flame high enough to attract attention, but he could not see any form of vessel for miles. Iroh decided to walk along the beach to see if there was any other form of civilization, or transportation. With no luck, Iroh decided to make camp on the edge of the jungle and the beach.

As he laid awake, his thoughts wondered to what occurred with the dragons. Iroh was positive he saw someone there, but that would be impossible. Who could have just shown up like that? He was also sure that the dragons did not find him worthy, and he was going to suffer the consequences if not for this mysterious person. He was left wondering, what had made him such a bad person which would make the dragons deem him unworthy of learning the true meaning of firebending.

Just as this thought crossed Iroh's mind, the same cold fog appeared as it did before. "Iroh, you are not a bad person. You are just lost and confused on your path to destiny," said a deep wise voice out of the fog.

Once the figure came into clear, it was no surprise to Iroh that he recognized the figure earlier. "Avatar Roku?" The tall skinny man stood in front of Iroh, with long and white hair and beard. Avatar Roku looked aged, but wise.

"The dragons were going to deem you unworthy for who you are today, but Iroh, I know you are destined for greatest. I made sure the dragons would teach you this lesson. You play a crucial role in the future of the world, and this event was the impetus."

"Roku, what do you know?" asked Iroh, eager to know more.

"Young prince, you are so very lost on your journey to find your destiny. Now is not the time for me to lay it out for you. I am here for some advice, there will be a ship passing by this coast, shortly after daybreak. If you swim out far enough, they will take you aboard their ship. I wish you luck."

Before Iroh could say anymore, Roku was gone. A night of restless sleep left Iroh unprepared for the long swim he had in front of him. Shortly after daybreak, Iroh swam out as far as he could, until an Earth Kingdom vessel saw him and brought him aboard.

Out of breath and drenched, Iroh realized he was aboard a refugee vessel. The vessel was crowded with Earth Kingdom civilians trying to escape the war knocking on their front doors.

"Here are some new clothes if you want them" a man close to Iroh in age with crazy brown hair and eyes says as he hands a set of green earthkingdom clothes to Iroh.

"Thank you. Where is this vessel heading?" Iroh asked.

"We are going back to Omashu. I have been doing trips between other Earth Kingdom cities and Omashu for a long time now to help get people to safety." The young man crackled a laugh, a very distinct laugh. "The name is Bumi. Yours?"

"Iroh" he said without thinking about it twice. After he realized what he said, regret struck.

"Ooooo. So you're the lost prince? Fire Nation is looking all over for ya. So why did you run away?!" Bumi asks while invading Iroh's personal space.

Iroh avoids the question, but Bumi does not seem bothered.

"Well, I am not sure where you are going, but you are welcome to stay in my home."

Shocked, Iroh responded "thank you."

The next few days aboard the vessel, Iroh kept to himself, still deep in thought. What did I run away from? I claim to be here trying to embrace my destiny, or is that what I am running from-the fate that is waiting for me when I get home? Maybe the nickname of the lost prince is suiting, not only am I physically lost, but lost on my journey.

"We should be arriving soon. There will be a bit of hike once we arrive to the shore," Bumi informed Iroh.

The hike was not difficult. Omashu was hidden amongst a tan mountain landscape. The path was a narrow, long, and winding road which eventually leads to the huge city of Omashu. Grand in size, Iroh found himself in amazement with every new place he visited. It had houses, buildings, mail systems, which all looked carved into the mountain. In order to get into the city of Omashu, earthbenders needed to open the over 30 feet tall wall which surrounded the city.

"Follow me. I will take you to where you are going to stay."

Iroh got himself comfortable in the spare bedroom of Bumi's home. It was incredibly small in comparison to the palace, but Iroh was not going to complain. There was something about his home that felt more welcoming and inviting than the palace ever did.

Months passed and Bumi and Iroh eventually became friends. Iroh found great pleasure in watching Bumi practice his earthbending. Bumi told Iroh that the secret to earthbemding is not that different from the secret of life.

"The secret is to wait and listen. Many people do not wait, so they get sloppy and do not plan ahead. If you wait for your opponent to attack, destiny to cross you path, and listen to what is going on, you can never go wrong, and you will never get lost." Bumi informed Iroh.

"Bumi?" Iroh asked. "Would you like to accompany me as I continue to travel? I feel like I have learned everything here, but I am still" Iroh paused "lost."

"I am meant to stay here. I am waiting to be called somewhere else, and this is not it. My dear friend, I wish you the best of luck with your travels. I can make sure you make it to where your journey has intended."

He shook his head, "I think I can fare on my own. It has been a pleasure getting to know you. I hope that one day we will see each other again."

Bumi cackled, "I know that we will."

Iroh said his goodbyes to Omashu, and packed up his things. As soon as he left the city walls, he was faced with a decision of which direction to travel. However, before he could make any form of decision, an older man approached him.

"I feel that your destiny and mine are intertwined. Thus, you are coming with me." The man gestured to his right.

Iroh examined the man, waited and listened, and agreed to follow this man on his journey. Both men set off on foot towards their destinies.


	5. The White Lotus

**CHAPTER 5-THE WHITE LOTUS**

Both of the men were walking down a beaten path through a forest. It was so dense with trees, that little light actually shined through. The forest was filled with unusual sounds and creatures Iroh had never experienced before. Not long into their journey did Iroh notice that something was unusual.

"I think I heard an extra set of footsteps, I feel like we are being followed" Iroh whispered to this stranger.

A second passed and the two men were being ambushed by a group of masked figures. They quickly corralled the two into the middle of the path.

"You are surrounded! Give us all of your belongings and we will let you continue on your way," stated the largest member of the group.

The stranger quickly opened up a container which was full with water, which he bended into extensions of his arms.

Iroh was surprised at the fact this stranger was a waterbender. Especially this far away from either poles. Both men got into fighting stances as they went on the offensive.

Using Bumi's technique of waiting and listening, Iroh was able to use the weaknesses of his opponents to his advantage. While they were closely matched in skill, Iroh and the stranger were able to beat the gang. Leaving quickly to avoid any more trouble, the two men continued on their journey.

"What is a firebender doing in Omashu?" the stranger asked.

"I am trying to find my destiny," Iroh paused. "Or maybe just running away from it."

"Ah, I see. Do you have any idea as to where your destiny is taking you?"

"Yes. No. It is confusing at this point."

"The next town we see, why don't we stop and get some food and discuss this destiny problem of yours."

Iroh nodded in agreement, but was apprehensive. He did not know who this stranger was, let alone his name, and Iroh was expected to divulge his secrets?

They find a small village, which had a restaurant. It was empty, aside from the bartender there were only two other people in restaurant who were hiding in the shadows in the back.

The stranger went up and ordered drinks for the two of them; it was not until he came back did Iroh realize that it was tea. Reluctantly, Iroh drank the tea, however, his facial expression gave him away.

"I should have guessed you didn't like tea. Do not worry, it will come with time," the stranger said calmly as he sipped his tea. "So Prince Iroh, how did you become so lost?"

Shocked at the fact that this stranger knew exactly who he was, Iroh was left speechless. Noticing that his companion was for a lack of words, the stranger continued.

"We have a mutual friend. I was instructed to keep out for a young lost man who looked like you. I was also told that you were an excellent Pai Sho player."

Iroh knew exactly who this stranger was talking about. "How do you know Lu Ten?" Iroh asked excitedly. "How is he?"

A sad expression came across the stranger's face. "Lu Ten and I have been friends for a long time. Unfortunately, he died shortly after he dropped you off at the Sun Warriors Civilization. Lu Ten had been ill for a long time; he held on long enough to get you to where you needed to go, and to spread the word for people to be on the lookout for you."

Overcome with grief, Iroh just looked at the floor. His first real friend on this journey is dead. Iroh sipped his tea in silence, unable to face the news.

"Iroh, Lu Ten knew that you would be lost and need help finding your way. It was not just chance that our paths crossed. Destiny brought us together. I am here, to help you through your journey, young Iroh. However, I must first ask, did you kill the dragons?"

"No, I did not. When I was judged by the dragons, they found me unworthy of learning the nature of firebending. That was until Avatar Roku spoke to the dragons; he caused them to change their minds."

"I am glad you learned that firebending is not anger, hatred, or pure power, but rather life, and energy. This will help you along your journey. For the sake of the dragons though Iroh, I ask you to do this one favor: tell everyone else you ever meet, that you killed the last dragon in existence."

"But, why? Why would I need to lie about that?" Iroh asked very confused.

"It is important for the nature of firebending to be preserved. This can only be done if Ran and Shaw stay alive. If firebenders continue to hunt them for glory, there will be no way for others to understand the nature of firebending."

Iroh quickly understood the importance, and agreed to tell everyone he killed the last dragon.

"It is also important for you to understand the four nations. Iroh, are you ready to take the next step in your journey?"

Faced with a decision, a decision which he did not know where it would lead him. Iroh trusted Lu Ten, and Lu Ten trusted this stranger, it would seem logical for Iroh to do the same.

"I am ready for the next step," Iroh said with conviction.

"Fantastic. First, you must finish your tea, and second, we must play Pai Sho."

With their teas finished, and Iroh winning at Pai Sho, the stranger offered some oddly familiar advice: "Iroh, please don't under estimate the role of the white lotus. It has the tendency to help you when you least expect it."

"Lu Ten offered me the same advice, what is that supposed to mean?!" Iroh asked slightly irritated.

"That, my young friend, is the next step in your journey. Let us go outside for a walk." The stranger stood up and walked towards the door, Iroh had no choice but to follow.

The stranger grabbed a stick, and began to draw in the sand. First, he drew the fire nation symbol. "Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want." Next, he drew the symbol for the Earth Kingdom. "Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring." He followed this with the symbol for the Air Nomads. "Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and they found peace and freedom." Lastly, the stranger drew the Water Tribe symbol. "Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

After a moment of silence, the stranger continued. "We often see the four nations as four separate entities, but that is not the case. To be a well-rounded civilization, person, and bender, you must learn from all the nations."

"But what does this have to do with Pai Sho?!" Iroh exclaimed.

"The Order of the White Lotus is an ancient and secret organization which believes that all four nations should live in harmony, in continuous flow. We search for philosophy, beauty, and truth. The White Lotus is made of people from all nations, benders and nonbenders, all who work together to achieve a better tomorrow. This Pai Sho tile," the stranger holds up the tile, "is your ticket into the order. My name is Taijo, I am the Grand Lotus, and it is my destiny to teach you the ways of order."

Iroh tried to hold in his laugh. Seriously?! He thought to himself. A group of benders and nonbenders who work together? The Fire Nation is causing rifts amongst all civilizations because of this war. It is not possible for this to exist.

Like he was reading Iroh's thoughts, Tajio continued. "It is real, and it does work. However, my rein is coming to an end, and we need someone with a pure heart who can continue with the mission of the White Lotus. It is only going to get more difficult as the war wages on, but Iroh: it is extremely important that you become a member."

Sensing Iroh's hesitation, Tajio offered Iroh a tidbit of information. "Are you familiar with the production of lightning?"

His ears perked up; Iroh was very interested in what most people referred to as the cold-blooded fire. "I have always wanted to learn how to do it, can you teach me?" Iroh asked eagerly.

"No I can't, I do not know how to produce lightning. However, I can still teach you a valuable technique which previous members of the White Lotus have used." Taijo began to do a waterbending form. It started with his legs apart, one arm out, which he brought to his stomach. There his other hand cam e to the stomach as well, then pushed out away from him. He continued this multiple times. "This is a form which will teach you how to redirect lightning. Using the idea of redirecting an opponent's energy from waterbending, one is able to redirect the lightning past your heart into the stomach, and out again using your other hand. I want you to practice."

At first it was difficult for Iroh, waterbending so more fluid than any of his firebending forms. However, he eventually caught on and was able to feel his chi flowing through his body with the movement of his hands.

"When learning from other styles of bending, there is nothing stopping you." Taijo added.

Iroh thought about this for a moment. Bumi taught him to wait and listen, which has turned into a valuable tool thus far, and now waterbending has taught him how to redirect lightning.

"I want to become a member of the Order of the White Lotus" Iroh said, feeling confident in his decision.

"It is going to take lots of dedication and training. You are going to need to follow me to a location where we can train and teach you about the White Lotus."

Iroh agreed and shortly after they were off to the southern tip of the Earth Kingdom. There Iroh trained for three months, learning to meditate, studying the other bending styles, and growing in maturity. By the end of his time there, Iroh was no longer the cocky lost prince he started out to be, rather a full realized master firebender, member of the White Lotus, and a connoisseur of tea.

"Thank you Taijo for everything you taught me," Iroh said as he bowed goodbye to the Grand Lotus.

"Do not forget what it is you learned here. It will be difficult to hold on to the teachings when your life gets difficult. The next years for you will be come with great struggle, but remember the Order of the White Lotus is always here to help a member in need."

With that, Iroh left Taijo and walked towards the west coast of the Earth Kingdom until he stumbled across a Fire Nation colony. That is when it finally hit Iroh that he was returning home.


	6. Return Home

**CHAPTER 6-RETURN HOME**

A weird thought had entered Iroh's head when he arrived on Fire Nation shores-Home. Iroh had been away for one year, and so much has changed since then. He was apprehensive about going back to the palace. He walked out on his father, how was the Firelord going to respond?

He walked towards the palace when he stumbled across his old friends, Hayato and Daisuke. Well, stumbled would not be an appropriate term. Hayato and Daisuke were up to the usual antics. Iroh quickly got involved, and broke up the harassment going on.

"What do you think you are doing?" Iroh asked his two friends.

The two men turned around, and in shock. "You? You're back?!" exclaimed Daisuke.

"Where did you go?" asked Hayato.

"I left because I needed to, and I am back because I needed to." Iroh added. "It is nice to see that you two have not changed while I was gone."

"And I see you have," said Hayato with a sense of sarcasm.

"A year being gone does cause a person to change. I wish you could see the places I have been," Iroh stated.

With that the men exchanged awkward glances, and Iroh turned around and walked towards the palace.

When Iroh reached the palace, he had found that his brother, Ozai, had ascended to their father's right hand side. It seemed as if the palace completely forgot about Iroh while he was gone for that year.

"Brother it is nice to see you," Iroh outreached his arms prepared to embrace his younger brother, but was rejected.

"Nice to see me? Since when have you ever cared about me?" Ozai sneered. "Probably since you realized that by you leaving, you have lost your position of Dad's favorite."

"Father's favoritism towards you has no effect on me, brother. I have not seen you in a year, can I not be happy just to see you?"

Ozai ignored his brother's comments and went back to practicing his firebending forms. It was at this point, Iroh was summoned to speak to his father.

"Prince Iroh, it is nice to see that you have found your way home once again," Firelord Azulon said with a bite in his voice. "May I ask you where you have been?"

"Father, I have traveled the world, training to be a firebending master so I can accept my destiny as Firelord." Iroh hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should divulge the following information, but continued, "I even slayed the last dragon in existence."

"What?! What did you say?" Firelord Azulon said in shock.

"I killed that last dragon in existence," Iroh articulated.

"I am impressed, however, I want proof that you have indeed become a firebending master. I want you to duel your brother."

Unsure of what to say, Iroh bowed to his father and escorted himself out. He went into his room and meditated until he was taken to the courtyard.

Ozai was there, waiting for his brother. The grin on Ozai's face was intense, like a lion ready to pounce. Iroh remained cool and collected as his father took a seat to watch his two sons duel.

Ozai threw the first punch, which Iroh easily evaded, allowing him to take advantage of Ozai's unprotected core & land a fireblast right on his chest. The fight went on for another 30 minutes, with this being consistent. Ozai was aggressive; Iroh would wait and listen, use more defensive moves than offensive, and use Ozai's flow against him-all things he had learned from the other elements. Up to this point, Ozai was unable to land a single attack on his brother, while Iroh was able to land many. Feeling very frustrated and exhausted, Ozai felt like he had only one option left-to produce lightning. This was a technique he had been working on, and was ready to see what it could do.

Lightning began to fly from Ozai's finger tips. The hair on the back of Iroh's neck stood on end as he readied himself to redirect the lightning. Ozai launched his lightning at Iroh. Iroh took in the lightning, and redirected it at a nearby tree. When the air cleared and Ozai saw his brother standing, and unharmed he was shocked. The brothers heard clapping from the distance.

"I thought Ozai was going to win. I am very impressed at the skills you have learned on your journey Prince Iroh. You will make a fine Firelord," Firelord Azulon said as he left the garden and the men in peace.

Ozai, upset at his defeat, left filled with anger. Iroh, impressed at how far he had come, went back to his quarters to meditate.

A couple months had passed and Iroh became a favorite amongst the palace servants. The prince, who was once rude and selfish, would now tell them stories of his travels, and be kind to them. The Firelord remained impressed with his eldest son's ability to firebend, while Ozai became a shadow in the eyes of his father.

Iroh would leave the palace more and more frequent, he would play Pai Sho with local shopkeepers and passing through merchants. He had even begun to learn how to play the tsungi horn.

One afternoon Iroh was in a local park, just admiring the view and his tea when something caught his eye. It was a young lady, with unprecedented beauty, while she still walked with a chip on her shoulder, Iroh was still very much attracted to her.

As he walked over to her, he picked up a flower from a nearby garden & presented it to her. "You may not remember me but," Iroh was cut-off.

"Oh I remember you," she said. Unlike the last time, she stopped walking and looked at him. She paused for a moment before she continued. "I heard you left the Fire Nation; no one expected you to come back."

"I was not quite sure myself, but after a year from being away, I knew it was time for me to come home," Iroh told her with a sense of calmness and wisdom in his voice.

"Something changed while you were away. I guess I don't know you."

"Well, miss" he hands her the flower "would you like to get to know me?"

She nods her head. "Would you mind escorting me home?"

"I would be honored" Iroh extended his arm to the young lady which she accepted.

The two walked home together and chit chatted, by the end Iroh was able to get the young lady to crack a smile.

"Thank you for the escort," the young lady said.

"It was my pleasure," Iroh responded. "Would you like to do dinner sometime this week?"

"Yes, how about in two nights from now?"

"I will pick you up here."

The young lady was about to walk through the door when she turned around and said "by the way, my name is Hana."

"It was nice to finally meet you Hana, I am Prince Iroh."

She stood in shock at his identity as he turned around and walked back to the palace.


	7. Hana

**CHAPTER 7-HANA**

It did not take long for the two to fall in love. When Iroh was around, Hana softened up. When Hana was near Iroh, he felt comfortable talking about his true journey, and what the change had meant to him.

There was one problem; Iroh did not feel comfortable bringing Hana to the palace. It was not because he was embarrassed of her, but more so afraid of how his family would respond to her. This did bother Hana, while she understood his reasons, she was nonetheless disappointed.

"So when am I going to meet your family?" Hana asked one afternoon, while they were walking around the marketplace.

Iroh sighed, "I know you want to meet my family, but I am not sure if it would be a pleasant experience."

'Iroh, we have been together for months now, they must know you are seeing me."

"My family is uninterested in me, and my social agenda." Iroh looked at her facial expression, "if it means that much to you, you can meet my family for dinner, how about tomorrow?"

Hana's face lit up. "I would love to!"

"I need to head home and get plans set up for dinner tomorrow."

Iroh kissed Hana on the cheek and left for the palace. He reached the palace and requested an audience with his father. His father seemed disinterested in the fact that Iroh had a love interest, but agreed to have her over for dinner the following night.

Dinner went surprisingly smoothly, as well as they could have anyway. Ozai was crude and the firelord was indifferent, but Hana did not seem to mind.

After dinner, while Iroh and Hana were walking home, Iroh stopped at the location in which they first met. "I never told you this, but it was your rejection which persuaded me to explore the world. How you saw me as a bully, I just did not know what to do. That is not who I wanted to be, so I left, to find myself and who I wanted to be."

"I never expected to find you again, or for you to give me another chance. Even on my journey I did not find anyone who I found as beautiful as you. And the more I have gotten to know you, the more I find you both beautiful. You push me to be a better person, and I am not sure if I could ever live without you."

Hana was blushing, unsure of how to respond. Iroh smiled at her and kissed her passionately on the lips. He pulls an intricate red and gold hairpiece out of his pocket, "What I am trying to say is, Hana, will you accept my hand in marriage?"

She hugged him tightly and beamed, "of course I will Iroh!" Hana placed her Fire Nation engagement hairpiece in her hair.

In a few months their wedding was arranged, and it went without a hitch. Hana and Iroh moved into the southern wing of the palace. The two made each other completely and utterly happy. All of their free time, they spent with each other.

Hana provided Iroh a nice break from the duties of being crowned prince of the Fire Nation. Iroh would get her to relax. Normally, she was closed off and intense. She did not open up to anyone inside the palace walls. However, when Iroh was around she was a different person, and for the better.

One night, while in their personal quarters, Hana walked in with something on her mind.

Iroh kissed her on the cheek. "My dear, is something bothering you?"

Hana just shook her head, unable to form any form of sentence. This began to trouble Iroh. "Whatever it is, I am here for you."

She sat down on the bed next to Iroh, held his hand, and looked him in the eyes. "We're pregnant." She stated simply.

"What?!" Iroh was shocked, they were trying to have a child for months with no such luck.

"I did not want to tell you until I was sure. I am pregnant, and at least a couple months along."

Iroh hugged his wife and kissed her. "I am so happy!" Iroh turned and faced his wife's stomach. "You are going to be so loved baby, you have pretty awesome parents. I cannot wait to meet you." Hana smiled at Iroh's excitement for her news. He turned to her and hugged her again, "we're going to be wonderful parents!" Iroh exclaimed.

Hana smiled, but was apprehensive about something. She hid it well from Iroh.

During the remaining months of her pregnancy, Iroh cosseted Hana. For Iroh, this was a wonderful excuse to avoid war meetings and engagements with his family. Their love grew over the months of her being pregnant. While this was true, Hana started to distance herself from Iroh, but he was in too much bliss to notice any difference her attitude.

"And push!" Followed by screaming came from behind a door. Iroh paced back and forth while he heard Hana screaming in pain. After what seemed like hours, Iroh was allowed into the room with Hana and their baby boy.

He turned to the closest servant. "It's a boy!" He hugged the servant. "I am a dad!" The servant was taken aback by Iroh's behavior. "Congratulations Sir" the servant said reluctantly.

Iroh coddled the baby, smiled with the biggest grin. He kissed Hana and on the forehead and held her hand while she rested. He held her hand and continued to kiss both members of his family.

"What do we want to name him?" Hana asked in a half asleep tone of voice. Iroh looked at his baby boy and smiled, "I know exactly what I want to call him. I want to name him Lu Ten."

Hana smiled and nodded before falling asleep.

With baby Lu Ten in his arms, Iroh walked around the palace talking to his son. "You are going to grow up and be so loved. I won't let you make the same mistakes I did. You are going to be twice the man I am."

Beaming, Iroh was incredibly happy with his first born son. He was on his way to show his father his first grandson until he was stopped.

"Prince Iroh!" A servant came running towards Iroh. He was out of breath and looked flushed.

"What's wrong?!" Iroh's heart started to race.

"Your wife, Hana, there is something wrong. Hurry, you need to hurry!" The servant waved Iroh to follow him back to the south corridor of the palace.

Iroh ran as fast as he could with Lu Ten in his arms back to Hana's room. However, by the time Iroh arrived, it was too late-Hana was dead.

Iroh looked upon his wife's corpse. He put the baby in the nearby cradle. "No! You can't be dead! You cannot be dead! You can't leave me here! What about our son? What about our future together?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her as if that was going to wake her.

"Sir, I am so sorry, there was nothing we could do. She had been sick for a long time; she knew she was not going to make it after giving birth to your son."

This crushed Iroh. "WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME?!"

"She instructed us not to. She wanted you to have pleasant memories before she passed," the servant said in a quiet tone. "Sir, I am so sorry. She loved you, and wanted you to enjoy your last few months together."

Iroh was a loss of words. His knees could no longer support him. He crumpled beside his wife's bedside and began to weep. One of the servants tried to console him. "LEAVE ME!" Iroh screamed.

The servants looked upon the person who had become their friend, and was at a loss for words. Once the servants left, baby Lu Ten began to cry. Iroh did not want to see his son, the reminder as to why he lost his wife, he ignored his son's cries and left the room with Lu Ten still inside.

Leaving the palace, Iroh went into the city and began to cause terror in the town's people. He attacked anyone who looked at him. His firebending, was no longer fueled by the idea that fire comes from life, warmth, and energy, rather his firebending was fueled by anger & frustration.

Back in the palace, Iroh walked through the garden. By this point it was past midnight, and Iroh was left alone to walk through the garden. In the pond, there was a mother tutleduck and her turtleducklings. At the sight of seeing the mother happy with her turtleducklings, Iroh was preparing an attack when something weird happened. A burst of light came over Iroh. When the light was gone, he was no longer in the Fire Nation palace; actually, he had no idea where he was.


	8. The Aftermath

**A/N: Thank you everyone for sticking with it until the end. I enjoyed writing about one of the most loved characters of ATLA series. Thank you again. **

**CHAPTER 8-THE AFTERMATH**

"Iroh, I told you rough times were ahead. I just hoped you would not take it this harshly" a voice responded that was oddly familiar.

When Iroh looked around to see where the voice was coming from, his surroundings made no sense. The landscape, creatures, smells, and sounds were all unusual. The overall color was brown and gray and by the time he made it full circle, he discovered the source of the voice.

"Roku?! Where am I?" Iroh asked.

"You are in the Spirit World. You resorted back to your old ways Iroh. You are supposed to be a beacon for the future of the Fire Nation."

"I just lost my wife! And you are telling me that I am not doing a good enough job keeping it together!? Am I not allowed to grieve?!" Iroh was upset with Roku.

"Iroh, I understand your loss. You are feeling unbelievable pain and loss. I did not bring you here to talk about what has happened; I brought you here to talk about what is to come."

Iroh was disinterested, but Roku started walking and continued talking.

"Despite what people believe, the Avatar is not dead. He is frozen, and held in suspension until he is needed. He will bring balance back to the world, but not for many years."

"Your destiny is to use what you were taught; you need to wait and listen."

The scenery changed. It was a picture of a large stronghold. It had Earth Kingdom flags hanging from its outer wall. Iroh recognized it as Ba Sing Se: the capital of the Earth Kingdom. There he saw himself, older, taking over Ba Sing Se.

"This is your destiny, but remember, destiny has a funny way of working out. I need you to remember how far you have come, and what I have told you today. Iroh, unfortunately your life will not be an easy one. You will struggle and have turmoil, but please hold on."

"Roku! Why me?! Why could this not be someone else!? Iroh asked upset at all Roku had told him.

"It needs to be someone who is an idealist with a pure heart, and unquestionable honor. It has to be you Iroh. I do not think I will be seeing you again Iroh." With the end of his phrase, Roku vanished, and Iroh was back in the palace.

Iroh broke down, and realized it had been hours dince he saw his son. He went back to his son, with tears strolling down his face. The servants removed Hana's body and were taking care of Lu Ten. Iroh picked up Lu Ten, and held him in his arms. "I am so sorry I left you my son. I will never leave you again." The tears continued to roll down his face. "I am going to love you enough for the both of us. I am so sorry you did not meet your mother. She is going to watch over you, my son."

He sat in a rocking chair and began to rock Lu Ten to sleep. "Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy come marching home. Brave soldier boy comes marching home. " Lu Ten and Iroh fell asleep in the rocking chair.

Iroh is running up a hill, with young Lu Ten following him. Both with huge smiles on their faces, laughter hung in the air. It has been six years since Hana's passing, but Iroh had never gone back to that dark place. His son Lu Ten meant everything to him. Iroh spent as much time with his son as possible. However, the war was becoming more and more demanding.

As Iroh made it to the top of the hill, Lu Ten positioned himself into a firebending stance and sent a fake fireblast towards his father.

"I got you, Dad" Lu Ten said, giggling the whole time. Iroh fell down in dramatic pain caused by the imaginary fireblast. Lu Ten jumped on Iroh's stomach and the two of them laughed together.

"I love you, Dad."

Iroh smiled, "I love you too my son. Your mother loves you too." The two spent time playing on top of the hill. The servants backed Lu Ten and Iroh a picnic lunch, which they enjoyed on top of the hill.

"Dad? Why are you and Uncle Ozai so different?" Lu Ten asked his father.

"What do you mean?"

"You smile, and like to have fun. Uncle Ozai is always serious. Even with his new wife around. Did you smile when Mom was still alive?"

Iroh's eyes started to tear up as he looked as his son. He grabbed Lu Ten and put him on his lap. "Lu Ten, your mother and I were very much in love. We would smile all the time when we were together. I know she wishes that she was here. As for your uncle; when I was a young man I was not much different from your uncle. Your mother turned me down for a date, and I went and traveled the world. I learned that the four nations are not separate, but rather parts of a whole. That is the difference between us. The understanding the balance of nature, and having true love."

Lu Ten looked confused, but nuzzled against his father. Just then, they were interrupted.

"Sir, the Firelord wants you to come to the war room, immediately." A servant told Iroh.

Iroh looked afraid. "Lu Ten, can you please stay here and finish you food with Yogoda? I need to go to see Grandpa Azulon."

"Dad! Don't go!" Lu Ten said in protest.

"Please, I will be back soon."

Iroh quickly left his son and the servant alone and headed back to the palace.

"Lu Ten, be good while I am gone. Yogoda will take care of you. I will write you letters if you write back?"

"Why can't I come with you?" Lu Ten responded to his father's request.

"When you are old enough, you can join me in the Earth Kingdom, but for now, I need to go and fight in the Fire Nation Army," Iroh told his son. Iroh was heartbroken over the fact he would be leaving his son. He tried to convince Firelord Azulon that he should be able to stay with his son, but he would not listen.

"Promise you'll write?" Iroh asked his son as he got down to Lu Ten's level.

"I promise Dad."

Iroh embraced his son and kissed him on top of the head. He tried not to cry as he turned around and left the palace for the Earth Kingdom.

During his time in the Earth Kingdom, Iroh and the men in his unit destroyed everything in their path. The men in the army loved General Iroh. He was a fearless and caring leader, his ability as a leader gave him the title of Dragon of the West. The only thing that kept Iroh going were the letters from his son. Lu Ten's writing had improved drastically and had Iroh was impressed at how educated his son was becoming. In his letters to Lu Ten, Iroh would write about White Lotus teachings, and tell stories about Hana. He tried to make sure Lu Ten would grow up to be a great man, even though he could not be there to help mold him.

At least twice a year, Iroh would return home to see his son, and this continued for ten years. When Lu Ten turned 16, he also joined the Fire Nation Army, in order to be with his father.

Iroh and Lu Ten were both sent to Ba Sing Se, the stronghold of the Earth Kingdom. They boarded the ship together, and looked out onto the water for the journey that awaited them.


End file.
